Few rooms demand as much consideration during remodelling as the kitchen.

These rooms need to be comfortable enough for everyday dining, stylish enough to work as one of your main entertaining spaces, and constructed with fittings durable enough to withstand plenty of foot traffic and lots of work.

One of the most important areas to get right is the countertop. After all, your countertops will tend to set the tone for the rest of the room, and you’re going to end up using them pretty much every day you live in the property. With so many factors to consider, choosing a countertop can be tricky.

If you need a little inspiration, just take a look at some of the top trends that have emerged during 2016.

Natural and Engineered Stone

Stone countertops have shown an increase in popularity during 2016, and you’ll have plenty of options from which to choose.

The biggest distinction between your various options will be whether you opt for a natural stone, such as marble, granite, or soapstone or slate, or an engineered stone, such as quartz, Silestone, Caesarstone, or IceStone. The former varieties will possess a more authentic appearance, and each option carries its own unique advantages:

Marble: Provides a sense of polished refinement and a cool, minimalist aesthetic. You’ll find it perfect for rolling dough and baking, though it does take stains and scratches more easily than other natural stones.

Granite: Incredibly durable, this is one of the most common countertop materials. It’s still pricey, but costs have noticeably decreased over the years.

Soapstone & Slate: These low-maintenance stones are incredibly durable, but you will have fewer colour and design options from which to choose.

Manufactured stones won’t look quite as natural as these, but they will be available in more colours and resist stains and cracks more successfully. No matter your choice, you’ll find that stone countertops are long-lasting and able to fit around any design style you could wish to foster.

Thinner is Better

You might think that thicker countertops would be preferable, but this hasn’t been the case during 2016. The trend towards kitchens possessing open floor plans and simpler designs have helped make thinner countertops a more desirable option, and using one of the stones listed above means that you won’t have to sacrifice durability.

Neutral Colour Palettes

During 2016, we’ve been seeing a lot of greys, blacks, and whites used for countertops. That might sound a little dull, but using neutrals means being able to shift styles later on without changing the countertops. In the meantime, you can add colour across other areas, such as the range hood, backsplash, cabinet, and exposed appliances.